


What happened next.

by Berenaholic



Category: Holby City
Genre: F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-23
Updated: 2016-11-24
Packaged: 2018-09-01 17:47:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8632552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Berenaholic/pseuds/Berenaholic
Summary: My head has been swirling with thoughts of what happened in the immediate aftermath of that steamy third kiss. So I thought I'd have a go at writing my ideas down in my very first efforts at a fanfic. It's rather short, but would love to know what you think and whether it's worth continuing to develop it.





	1. Chapter 1

Finally they broke apart to draw breath. Bernie smiled shyly at Serena, not quite believing that the woman that she’d dreamt of during those lonely night in the Ukraine was really here in her arms, especially after all the mistakes she’d made. Serena smiled back at her love, and took hold of Bernie’s hands in hers. She glanced down at their entwined fingers, and increased her grip. “No more running, okay.” She gently breathed. And then, more firmly, as she made eye contact with the other woman, she added “I want you to stay.” They were the words that she’d wished she’d said all those weeks ago when Bernie had run off. Always wondering if they would have made the difference. 

Bernie looked into the beautiful brown eyes that were now looking slightly nervously back at her. She suspected that she still had a lot of reassuring and making up to do. She held her gaze, wanting her to see deeply into her soul, to see that she wasn’t going to hide anymore, to see how much she loved her. “I promise, I’m not going anywhere again” she finally said. Serena exhaled a breath she didn’t even know she had been holding, and softly kissed the blonde. “Good”, she replied, drawing her closer, “because quite honestly, I don’t know if my heart could take it.”

“Serena, I mean it. You’re my best friend…more than that…and I won’t run the risk of losing you again.” Bernie reassured her and wrapped her in an embrace. The two women held each other tightly, finally starting to feel safe in the knowledge that the other was real and that they weren’t dreaming. 

Just then, they heard a click at the door. “I think Jason found the keys”, Serena commented, as she drew away, a small smile of pride on her face at her nephew’s subterfuge. “I think I need to thank our Cupid”, Bernie smiled back at her. “If he hadn’t locked us in here, I might not have found the courage to tell you how I really felt.”

“I suppose we’re going to be the talk of the hospital now” Bernie added as she began to think about facing the outside world. “Oh, you have no idea” Serena replied, realising that Bernie had no idea just how public their traumatic goodbye had been, and what she had been through in the medic’s absence. “Crazy Campbell” she added. “What?” Bernie looked at her, slightly puzzled. “That’s what they called me!” Serena replied slightly sheepishly, her head ducking down in embarrassment at how much she had unravelled in Bernie’s absence. The blonde looked down, full of love for this beautiful strong woman who wore her heart on her sleeve, gently took her chin in her hands, and lifted it back up. She leaned over to softly kiss the brunette’s lips. “Well”, she replied, “now I’m back, there’ll be no more of that.” She paused in thought, and then added, “if they’re going to talk about us, we might as well give them a new name for us. How about…Berena?” “Yes”, Serena breathed, her heart spilling over with relief to have her big macho army medic back. “Berena. I like the sound of that.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your lovely comments. I don't really know where this is going, it seems to be writing itself, but I hope you enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying imagining it.

Dinner? 

Tonight?

My place? 

Okay.

Serena’s mind flicked back to the last time they’d had that conversation. That time it had been Bernie asking. This time she was taking the lead. She wasn’t letting Bernie go anytime soon. This time it would be different she told herself. Her body reflected the train of her thoughts as she snuggled up closely to the medic, determined to hold onto her.

Bernie tightened her arm around Serena’s warm body, feeling her need for closeness and wanting to let her feel safe and loved. The woman was just too precious for her to mess up again.

Serena’s tummy rumbled prompting both women to laugh. “Now I know why you were thinking about dinner!” Bernie murmured, with a smile into Serena’s hair. “Come on, I can’t have you fainting from hunger on my account!” With one last squeeze she pushed herself up from the office floor where they had somehow found themselves. “It’s time to face the outside world.” 

She put out her hand to Serena, pulling her up and gently straightening the brunette’s blouse which was now hanging halfway off her shoulders. Had she done that? Bernie asked herself. Probably. She had tried to hold herself back and restrain herself to pouring her passion into her kisses onto the beautiful surgeon's lips, mindful that this was all new to Serena. But it had been very difficult! 

As Bernie rearranged Serena’s clothes, Serena stood still, silently watching her and revelling in the feeling of Bernie’s delicate hands on her body. 

She suddenly felt a little nervous. This was uncharted territory, and she was terrified that somehow she might do something to scare Bernie off. After all, last time she’d kissed Bernie, she’d done a runner soon afterwards. Bernie noticed the flicker of nervousness in Serena’s eyes. Without knowing the reason, she reassured her in the best way she knew how. She held Serena’s gaze, gentle brown eyes to gentle brown eyes. “We’ve got this Serena.” she said firmly. She grasped her hand in hers as they turned towards the door and the noise of AAU. “Together, we can do this.” 

And for the first time, Serena really knew that Bernie had meant it when she'd said she'd changed. Her co-lead was back for good, and wasn't going to leave her side. She pushed her shoulders back and turned the door handle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They really will leave the office in the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

“Auntie Serena! Auntie Serena!” Jason bowled across the ward towards the two women. “Did you tell her?” 

“Tell me what?” Bernie turned to the woman by her side, wondering if there were more secrets to come out. Her body tensed, fearing the worst, her mind questioning if everything was too good to be true. She felt a wave of jealousy start to curl up in her gut, as she thought back to Jason’s earlier revelation about Robbie. 

Robbie and Serena, Robbie with her Serena. The thought made her feel sick. She didn't know if she could handle another secret. She started to pull her hand from Serena’s, the practised defences going up and the urge to run kicking in. Someone always gets hurt, she thought to herself. 

“Tell you that she loves you of course!” Bernie looked askance at him, pausing in her movements, struggling to match his words with what her mind had anticipated. “You do, don’t you Auntie Serena?” Jason carried on oblivious to Bernie’s angst. “Fletch explained it all to me, the blouse, the make-up, everything." He stopped talking, happy to have everything finally clear in his mind. 

The change in Bernie hadn't gone unnoticed by Serena and she had seen the blood start to drain from the medic's face. She didn’t know what Jason had said that had spooked her, but she was determined to get her back. She was only too aware of just how fragile Bernie was when it came to matters of the heart and she suspected that even though Bernie had said that she’d changed, even though they had just spent the last hour necking like teenagers behind a bike shed, she was going to have to work hard to reassure her how loved she was. 

Bernie would not be allowed to run this time, she resolved to herself. Serena had also changed and she knew she was stronger. She also knew without a doubt what she wanted. 

“Bernie.” She said softly. “Bernie, look at me.” Bernie slowly lifted her dark brown eyes to look at the brunette. Serena’s calm voice was cutting through her troubled thoughts. “He’s right, Bernie. This wasn’t how I imagined saying it properly for the first time, but, yes. I do love you. Very much as it happens." She smiled reassuringly at her, willing Bernie to see, and to feel the love that was exploding from her heart. 

The brunette continued…”I don’t know what’s going through that beautiful blonde head of yours, but stop it right now.” The direct instruction caught the Major’s attention and she started to listen. "I love you Bernie" Serena repeated. "That was all Jason wanted me to tell you." Slowly the darkness in Bernie's eyes began to clear. A small smile crept across her face as she finally registered what Jason and Serena had been telling her. Serena loved her. Serena loved her. Serena loved her! 

The tension seeped back out from Bernie’s body. Seeing that she had finally got through to the blonde, Serena reached out and pulled her into a hug, whispering into her ear as she did, “it’s a new beginning, Bernie. You and me.” Bernie hugged her back, “Thank you...I'm sorry” she whispered back, her heart too full of emotion to say more. She brushed her lips against Serena’s, desperately wanting to show her how much she loved her too. 

Fletch looked up at that exact moment and spotted the two women kissing. Right in the middle of the ward of all places! He let out a low whistle attracting their attention. The women pulled apart, wreathed in smiles and blushes. Serena winked at him, happy to have finally got her woman and not afraid for everyone to know. He grinned back at them, happy and relieved to see them finally together. “Come on,” Bernie took Serena’s arm in hers, “you too, Jason,” she added, smiling at the young man and wanting him to be sure that he knew she wouldn’t upset his routines. “Let’s get out of here. If we hurry, I think we can just make it to the fish and chip shop before it shuts. It is Thursday afterall." Jason beamed back. The relationship between the two women still seemed so overly complicated to him. But he could see that his aunt was happier than she’d been in months and that was good enough for him. He was alright, she was alright. The world could go around.

As the three of them headed for the doors, Fletch watched them go. “About bloody time” he smiled to himself, his grin growing even wider as he contemplated the drinks that Raf now owed him. Berena was now official.


End file.
